If love were all!

　　It was night, and I was in the cell wherein the King had lain in theCastle of Zenda. The great pipe that Rupert of Hentzau had nicknamed"Jacob's Ladder" was gone, and the lights in the room across the moattwinkled in the darkness. All was still; the din and clash of strife weregone. I had spent the day hidden in the forest, from the time when Fritzhad led me off, leaving Sapt with the princess. Under cover of dusk,muffled up, I had been brought to the Castle and lodged where I now lay.

　　Though three men had died there--two of them by my hand-- I was nottroubled by ghosts. I had thrown myself on a pallet by the window, andwas looking out on the black water; Johann, the keeper, still pale from hiswound, but not much hurt besides, had brought me supper. He told me thatthe King was doing well, that he had seen the princess; that she and he,Sapt and Fritz, had been long together. Marshal Strakencz was gone toStrelsau; Black Michael lay in his coffin, and Antoinette de Maubanwatched by him; had I not heard, from the chapel, priests singing mass forhim?

　　Outside there were strange rumours afloat. Some said that the prisonerof Zenda was dead; some, that he had vanished yet alive; some, that hewas a friend who had served the King well in some adventure in England;others, that he had discovered the Duke's plots, and had therefore beenkidnapped by him. One or two shrewd fellows shook their heads and saidonly that they would say nothing, but they had suspicions that more was tobe known than was known, if Colonel Sapt would tell all he knew.

　　Thus Johann chattered till I sent him away and lay there alone,thinking, not of the future, but--as a man is wont to do when stirring thingshave happened to him--rehearsing the events of the past weeks, andwondering how strangely they had fallen out. And above me, in thestillness of the night, I heard the standards flapping against their poles, forBlack Michael's banner hung there half-mast high, and above it the royalflag of Ruritania, floating for one night more over my head. Habit grows so quick, that only by an effort did I recollect that it floated no longer forme.

　　Presently Fritz von Tarlenheim came into the room. I was standingthen by the window; the glass was opened, and I was idly fingering thecement which clung to the masonry where "Jacob's Ladder" had been. Hetold me briefly that the King wanted me, and together we crossed thedrawbridge and entered the room that had been Black Michael's.

　　The King was lying there in bed; our doctor from Tarlenheim was inattendance on him, and whispered to me that my visit must be brief. TheKing held out his hand and shook mine. Fritz and the doctor withdrew tothe window.

　　I took the King's ring from my finger and placed it on his.

　　"I have tried not to dishonour it, sire," said I.

　　"I can't talk much to you," he said, in a weak voice. "I have had a greatfight with Sapt and the Marshal--for we have told the Marshal everything.

　　I wanted to take you to Strelsau and keep you with me, and tell everyoneof what you had done; and you would have been my best and nearestfriend, Cousin Rudolf. But they tell me I must not, and that the secret mustbe kept-- if kept it can be.""They are right, sire. Let me go. My work here is done.""Yes, it is done, as no man but you could have done it. When they seeme again, I shall have my beard on; I shall--yes, faith, I shall be wastedwith sickness. They will not wonder that the King looks changed in face.

　　Cousin, I shall try to let them find him changed in nothing else. You haveshown me how to play the King.""Sire," said I. "I can take no praise from you. It is by the narrowestgrace of God that I was not a worse traitor than your brother."He turned inquiring eyes on me; but a sick man shrinks from puzzles,and he had no strength to question me. His glance fell on Flavia's ring,which I wore. I thought he would question me about it; but, after fingeringit idly, he let his head fall on his pillow.

　　"I don't know when I shall see you again," he said faintly, almostlistlessly.

　　"If I can ever serve you again, sire," I answered.

　　His eyelids closed. Fritz came with the doctor. I kissed the King's hand,and let Fritz lead me away. I have never seen the King since.

　　Outside, Fritz turned, not to the right, back towards the drawbridge,but to the left, and without speaking led me upstairs, through a handsomecorridor in the chateau.

　　"Where are we going?" I asked.

　　Looking away from me, Fritz answered:

　　"She has sent for you. When it is over, come back to the bridge. I'llwait for you there.""What does she want?" said I, breathing quickly.

　　He shook his head.

　　"Does she know everything?""Yes, everything."He opened a door, and gently pushing me in, closed it behind me. Ifound myself in a drawing-room, small and richly furnished. At first Ithought that I was alone, for the light that came from a pair of shadedcandles on the mantelpiece was very dim. But presently I discerned awoman's figure standing by the window. I knew it was the princess, and Iwalked up to her, fell on one knee, and carried the hand that hung by herside to my lips. She neither moved nor spoke. I rose to my feet, and,piercing the gloom with my eager eyes, saw her pale face and the gleam ofher hair, and before I knew, I spoke softly:

　　"Flavia!"She trembled a little, and looked round. Then she darted to me, takinghold of me.

　　"Don't stand, don't stand! No, you mustn't! You're hurt! Sit down--here,here!"She made me sit on a sofa, and put her hand on my forehead.

　　"How hot your head is," she said, sinking on her knees by me. Thenshe laid her head against me, and I heard her murmur: "My darling, howhot your head is!"Somehow love gives even to a dull man the knowledge of his lover'sheart. I had come to humble myself and pray pardon for my presumption;but what I said now was:

　　"I love you with all my heart and soul!"For what troubled and shamed her? Not her love for me, but the fearthat I had counterfeited the lover as I had acted the King, and taken herkisses with a smothered smile.

　　"With all my life and heart," said I, as she clung to me. "Always, fromthe first moment I saw you in the Cathedral! There has been but onewoman in the world to me--and there will be no other. But God forgive methe wrong I've done you!""They made you do it!" she said quickly; and she added, r............